LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1777, 31 October 1879, Page 3

LITERATURE.

THE SNOW-DRIFT. A Stoey in Two Pabts. Past I. ( Continued.) * Well, your worship,’ commenced Pat, 4 I will begin at the beginning. You must know that the Morgans nave had Mainowen, father and son, for the last sixty generations and real fine the lot of them were. Not that I ever saw but two of them, bat sure I’ve seen the pictures in the ould place,' and it’s all the same thing, anyway. 4 When I was a short slip of a boy I went to Mainowen myself as a sort of general servant, your worship; that is, I nsed to do anything In the house, and ont of it. The old justice was always a proud stern sort of man, and he wonld never take mnch notice of any of ns ; but Mrs Morgan, sure it was herself that was the kind lady to her servants. She wonld always have a word for ns, and there was not one amongst us that would have objected to go through fire and water to serve her. But the darling of the honse was little Miss Lena, she was the only child, and moie like a sunbeam than anything. Sure it was like a dream to see her bright, happy, young face amongst' the flowers on the summer mornings ; she would come and stand by the side of me talking her pretty childish language until—bedad I I nsed to think it was a fairy ! 4 Well, time went on until Miss Lena grew np and got old enough to go to the quality balls at Ballybrake and Leenslde, when the head of her seemed qnite turned by all the grand folks she saw. The first ball she went to I remember just like I know the things of yesterday, it all seems so distinct like, Yon see I was head groom then, yonr worship, and I had my lady and Miss Lena to drive to all these place. Snre the justice never went; he used to stay at home, bnt no matter the time, he wonld not stir a foot towards bed until they came back. Well, this first ..ball of Mies Lena’s was a real grand thing to catch a glimpse of ; and while I was standing at the door, waiting, with a thing all fnr, which the justice sent for Miss Lena, didn’t I see the lords and ladies walking about quite common like! And the musio ! och, your worship, it was fine enongh to go to sleep to.’ 4 While I was standing waiting, with my eyes wide wide open, to miss nothing. Miss Lena came walking slowly towards the carriage with as fine and grand a gentleman as I ever saw. I noticed him particularly, you see, for I thought that maybe he was a prince, until I heard Miss Lena call him 4 * Captain Laurence,’ and then I knew that be was not. To see the way the captain handed my ladies into the carriage was just a picture. Bedad, and it’s the quality who know properly how to do elegant things, 4 44 Then I shall see you to-morrow 7 ’ says the captain, leaning his hand in through the window to say good night. 444 Yon mean to-day, Captain Laurence, says she, smiling, as we drove off. I knew that she smiled, although I could not seeMt, for I had seen happiness all over her face as she passed under the lamps. 4 The justice came forward to help my lady and Miss Lena out as the carriage stopped at the hall door.

4,4 Have you enjoyed yourself, pet7’he asked tenderly, for he was mortal prond of Miss Lena’s beauty and grace. 4 44 The happiest evening of my life, papa,’ she answered ; and there was a ring-like mnsio in her voice, and a sparkle in her eye, prettier than anything your worship ever saw.

‘ Well, the afternoon brought Captain Laurence. He came riding over from Leenside, where he was stationed, and looking in the daylight not a bit lees grand than the night before, and more like a prince than ever. He stayed a long time that first visit, but the visits afterwards were longer and longer, until at last-I thought, ‘Badad, my boy, it’s a pity you do not stay altogether,’ ‘I knew the meaning of it all. It was easy guessing the road those two young things were making for; and I think my lady encouraged them, for I know that she left them often together. As for the justice, why he would never see anything ; so it was not to be expected that he could see Captain Laurence and Miss Lena were falling in love with each other.

‘The ,first time that I really knew there was anything between them was one evening when it was getting towards Autumn, and the nights were cold and chilly. It was my custom, yonr worship, for to take the round of the greenhouses just at dusk, and shut down the lights. In the conservatory, which went into the drawing-room, I heard voices. You see they had opened the door between the two, just to improve the draw-ing-room with a scent of the flowers, as they often did, and I heard talking. I went on with my work, and they never minded me—noboby never did. ‘ Sure I'm just the same as yourself,’ I would say sometimes, to encourage them like. •I do not like it Lena,’ I heard the captain ray. ‘ I do not like it; and I must tell the justice before I go back to-night. Why do you fear, darling ?’ • I do not know, Ernest,’ she says to him, in a sad kind of way like. ‘ I have a sort of presentiment of evil for ua- Papa has lately so often laid his hand upon my head and talked about wealth and titles, as if ho contemplated something. He never talks like that for nothing, ’ says she. • The captain sighed, and said, * I have neither wealth nor title, dear one. I wish I had for yonr sake.* ‘Ton have both, Ernest,’ says she, bending down and kissing him—for yon see, your worship, I heard It, ‘Yon have both, for you are a captain, and you have a wealth of love for me. What more do I want ?’ ‘ And then, your worship. I knew for sure that Captain Laurence had been making love to my young lady; and I could see nothing

but misery before them if the justice refused to let them marry, '* I suppose tue captain must have asked him that very night for Miss Lena, for I heard tell in the kitchen of an awfnl row having taken place between them. All that I knew about it was, that Captain Laurence came round himself to the stables to fetch his horse, and his face was as white as a banshee’s as he waited for me to put the saddle on. ‘ Indade, but your honour is going early,’ said I between whiles, ‘ And enough to make me go,’ says he. Then he turned sharp round and came close to me, and said, ‘Mind, Pat,’ if ever you meet with me in the park or elsewhere, never to mention that same in the kitchen, so that it might get to Justice Morgan’s ears, .Remember that your are helping Miss Lena,’ And he tried to make me take some money, ‘ Is it paying me you are,’ says I, indignant, ‘ for doing a service for Miss Lena ?’ Put it away your honor, for I can never tonch it. Sure, there’s not one of ua who would not fight to the death for her; but it’s affection and not gold, we would do it for.’ So I just promised the captain that I wonld never speak if I saw him about the place. No more I never did, and, bedad I saw him about often enough. ‘ Well, so things went on until nearly Christmas time, when one day the justice walks in very pompous and proud-like, with an elderly, white-headed gentleman, who was as rich as the Queen of Eogland, and an earl, Lord Mount-Stuart. Bedad, leave an Irishman alone for second sight! I saw it all in an instant, and you could have knocked me down with a horse-hair as soon as my eyes were opened. The earl kept coming and coming, and at last it was whispered all through the servants’ hall that Miss Lena was to be the Countess MonntStuart._ Sure, the justice was as proud about is as a dog with two tails, and held his head higher than ever. It was no uce for Miss Lena and my lady to cry and beg of him not to sacrifice her fair young life to a man ould enough to be the grandfather of her; the justice said she should marry the earl, and there weren’t any going against that verdict.

‘At last, preparations far the marriage began, and poor Miss Lena began to grow whiter and thinner day by day. The wedding was fixed for the end of February, and all the time the captain need to meet her in the grounds on the short afternoons whenever he conld. At last, just a few days before the wedding, Captain Laurence came to me while I was working in one of the greenhouses. “Pat,” says he, “there’s a good fellow, come to the tool-honse at eight o’clock to-night, while dinner goes on indoors ; ” and he was gone like a shot, 'At eight I unfastened the tool-house and went in and sure I had not long to wait before the captain came, his handsome face looking sad and white, and so thin, it made my heart bleed to see the sorrow the old justice's taste for pomp and wealth was causing to the two. ‘ ‘ Tat,” says he, grasping my hand in a grip like a yenng vice— * l Pat, I know we can trnst yon ” —Bedad, if I did not look ronnd for the other of them, but I conld see nobody—Says the captain, “ Mias Lena is to marry Lord Monnt-Stuart in four days!” * “ True for yon, captain,” says I, “and sorry am I in my heart of it, for her heart is breaking. ” ‘ “ Would you make her happy, Pat ?” •says he. ‘“Would I?” I shouted, catching up a spade and holding it before him. “Look you here, captain, if it would make Miss Lena happier I would just walk into the dining-room this minute and give the culd earl a tap on the head with my spade,” ‘ “ You need not do that, my boy,” says the captain, “but yon can help her more than any one if you will.” ‘ “ Bedad, won’t 1 7” says I, “ only say how, your honor.” • “ To-morrow night, when you are all in bed. Miss Lena will open the hall-door and come out,” says he; “ you must be waiting there, and must bring her to me. I will wait some little distance off—by the Hollow Pond—with my sleigh." ‘ “ Your what, your honor ?” I asked, ‘“A sleigh, Pat—a carriage,” says he; “ yon shall see it when you bring her; and when the justice misses her, do all that you can to prevent him from telegraphing down the line from Leenside, or stopping in any way the progress of tbe midnight train. Do yon hear me, Fat 7” ‘'• Captain Laurence,” says I, “ sure and you never mean to walk off with Justice Morgan’s daughter ?” ‘“I mean to drive off with her, Pat,” says he; “so mind you take cate of her through the enow until yon give her into my hands. And you will have to give us chase! so mind and delay the justice.” ‘ “ Shall I upset him, your honor?” says I. ‘“No, do him no harm,” says he, “for Miss Lena’s sake, we must not have him hurt.”

1 “ I’d do it gently, year honor. I would not injure him at all.” ‘“ No Pat—no upsets. You must think of something else Remember, he is an old man.” And with a few more directions, Captain Laurence went off. ‘ Well, the next day was pretty much like other days. There had been very heavy falls of snow for a week past, you see, your worship, and it made the roads very bad for driving, and it was a long way to Leenside; so all day I was wondering to myself like how Captain Laurence was going to catch the night train, and I was thinking how the old justice would dance round when he came to find Miss Lena gone. ‘ Poor young lady ! sure she looked ill and nervous all that day; and no wonder; for what with the ould grey-haired lord a-danc-ing after her in-doors, and she thinking of driving through snowont of doors, it was just enough to drive her crazy. ‘ Well, I must make my story short, or I shall tire your worship entirely. * The night afterwards I was kicking my heels up in the snow, trying not to feel cold, and wondering when the last of the lights was going to be put out. At last it went out, and half-an-hour afterwards the front door was slowly and quietly opened, and Miss Lena stepped out. * “Are you there, Pat? ” whispers she, as she pulled the door to, without making any sound.

‘ “ Deed but I am, my lady,” I whispered, in return ; and we went quietly and quickly down the drive. “ You have not far to go, my lady, and the captain is waiting, ” says I, to encourage her like, for I saw her trembling like a leaf. ‘“Oh Patl” said she, bursting into tears. And, bedad, the sound of them made me a thousand times colder than the coldest night, “Oh Pat! I hope I am not doing very wrong.’ ‘ “ Not a bit of it. Miss Lena,’ says I. ‘“I am sorry to go,” says she, —“sorry to have to go ; for it is not straightforward and honest for any girl to steal away like a thief from her home. But, oh I am sure it would be far more wrong and wicked to stay and be married to a man I hate. ” (To be continued.')